Alarm device



April 16, 1968 PATRlCK 3,378,830

ALARM DEVICE Filed Aug. 4, 1965 I VEN TOR. GEORGE o. PATRICK 4%7M WWW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,378,830 ALARM DEVICE George D. Patrick, 2385 Murray Ridge Road, San Diego, Calif. 92123 Filed Aug. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 477,091 Claims. (Cl. 340--274) This invention relates to improvements in alarm devices or warning devices adapted to be applied to a door or window and to issue or sound a warning in the event the door or window is opened while the alarm device is in operative condition thereon.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a novel, inexpensive, compact, self-contained device of this character which is readily and easily applied or mounted for use.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a novel supporting bracket and of a character which permits its ready transport by travelers and its application and removal rapidly and without the use of tools or fastening devices.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the device as mounted upon a door and taken on line 1-1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the device taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device in assembled form;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device in assembled form but with a part of the outer casing removed;

FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram;

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the numeral designates the frame of a building opening, such as a door opening, which is adapted to be closed by .a closure member 12, here shown as a door, but which may be a window of either the double-hung or swinging type. My improved warning device 14 is adapted to be mounted upon the closure member 12 adjacent to the building frame 10 in such a manner that, when the closure member 12 is closed, the warning device will be inoperative with a control switch thereof in open circuit condition, as hereinafter described. The movement of the closure member 12 from its normal closed position to an open position will cause the switch to become activated or closed so as to actuate a warning signal or noisemaking member in the device.

In the form of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the warning device 14 has a bracket preferably formed of sheet metal which is of substantially S-form and which is characterized by a top panel 20, a vertical panel 22, a bottom panel 24, and an upturned shallow flange 26 projecting from the free edge of the bottom panel 24. The top panel and bottom panel 24 extend in opposite directions from the vertical panel 22. Notches 28 are preferably formed at opposite sides of the bracket at the junction between and substantially in line with the bend between the top panel 20 and the vertical panel 22. One or more triangular openings 30 are formed in the top panel 20 and integral triangular impaling prongs 32 are struck from the top panel in a downward direction spaced from the notches 28. The upturned flange 26 is preferably provided with an opening 34, for purposes to be described.

A cover member is removably mounted upon the S-shaped bracket. This cover member is preferably formed of sheet metal or other rigid material and has a front panel 36, side panels 38, top panel and a pair of rear vertical flanges 42. Top panel 40 has an opening 3,378,830 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 ice 44 therein substantially at its center and extending to its rear edge. Front panel 36 has a notch 46 therein at the lower central portion of the front panel 36 and adapted to register with the opening 34. The rear vertical flanges 42 slide in the notches 28 and engage the rear margins of the vertical panel 22 with the top panel 40 substantially flush with the bracket panel 20 in the assembled relation of the parts.

The top panel 20 of the bracket has fixedly secured thereto at 50 one end of an elongated leaf spring 52 which normally is deflected from the top panel 20 and extends clear thereof and thence is bent downwardly at 54 clear of the vertical panel 22 and terminates in an outturned flange 56 which defines a switch contact. The switch contact 56 normally engages a switch contactor 58 carried by bracket member 60 projecting from the vertical panel 22 and cooperating with a second bracket member 62 to engage in vertical position an electric storage battery 64. Spring clamp means 66 carried by the bracket panel 22 cooperates with the bracket member 62 to position the battery in fixed releasable assembled relation to the brackets 20, 22, 24 in such a manner that the switch contactor 58 will be electrically connected with the battery.

A buzzer or other noise-making or Warning device 68 is mounted upon the panel 22 and is of the electrically operated type. A manual electric switch 70 is carried by the bottom bracket panel 24 and has a shiftable actuator or lever 72 which is adapted to extend through the openings 34 and 46. Electrical leads or conductors 74 connect the electrical components in an operating circuit.

One operating circuit is shown in FIG. 5, wherein the buzzer or warning device 68, the manual switch 70, the battery 64 and the switch 52 are connected in series. The circuit is completed through ground connection 50 of switch 52 with frame panel 20 and ground connection 76 of buzzer or warning device 68, with frame panel 22.

In use the device is mounted upon a door or window, as illustrated in FIG. 1. For this purpose the top panel 20 preferably bears upon the top edge of the door or window and the vertical panel 22 extends alongside the inner surface of the window frame to orient the parts. The impaling members 32 are pressed upon to impale the top of the closure member where the same is formed of wood and thereby serves as means for quickly, manually, securely and easily mounting the warning device upon the closure member without the use of tools and without the use of separate securing means. The leaf spring 52 normally projects above the top panel 20 and its position is determined by engagement of outturned flange end 56 with the switch contactor 58. When the closure member 12, which is opened for the attachment of the device thereto, is thereafter closed, the spring member 52 engages the frame member 10 of the building opening, such as the door frame or window frame, and is deflected thereby in a downward direction to clear and disengage the contactor 58. Thus as long as the closure member is in closed position, assuming that the circuit is closed by the manual switch 70, the device is in condition for operation but is held inoperative at the open switch 52, 56, 58. If then the closure member is opened, the spring 52 flexes to reengage electrical contact at 56, 58, thus energizing the circuit and causing operation of the warning signal member 68.

The device can be removed quickly and easily by simply lifting it clear of the closure member while the closure member is open. When this is done, the manual switch 70 may be operated to open the circuit for transport purposes. Thus it will be observed that the device is firmly anchored when operated for its intended purpose, is fully supported without special securing means, and at the same time is readily transportable because of its compact size, its easy removability and its circuit control switch 70, without disassembly of the parts. In other words, the device is self-contained at all times and the housing cover need be removed only to effect repair or adjustment or to replace batteries or other component parts.

It will be understood that the device may be mounted upon a stationary building part, such as a, door frame or window frame, in a position to hold the switch 56 in open circuit position when it engages the closure memher in its closed position.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be incorporated in other embodiments within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An alarm device adapted to be mounted on a building in association with a closure member to signal opening of said closure member, said device comprising a supporting bracket having a plurality of angularly extending integral panels, a cover releasably carried by said bracket and cooperating therewith to define a compartment, an electric signal device carried by said bracket in said compartment, a battery carrier mounted on said bracket in said compartment, a battery removably mounted in said carrier, a manual switch mounted on said carrier in said compartment and having an actuator extending externally of said compartment, one bracket panel projecting from said compartment and having means for attachment thereof to one of a cooperating pair of building closure and closure frame members, an elongated resilient switch arm carried by said last named bracket panel and having an end portion projecting into said compartment, and a switch contactor carried by said bracket in said compartment and normally engaged by said switch arm end portion, said manual switch, battery, signal device and switch contactor being electrically connected in a circuit controlled by said resilient switch arm and said manual switch, said switch arm and last named bracket panel being interposed between said closure member and closure frame to flex said switch arm to disengage said contactor when said closure member is in closed position.

2. An alarm device as defined in claim 1 wherein said bracket is of S-shape and has an upper bracket panel which constitutes said attaching panel and has an impaling prong struck therefrom for anchorage to a supporting member of said building.

3. An alarm device as defined in claim 1, wherein said bracket is of S-shape and has notches in said projecting panel at its junction with an intermediate panel of said frame, and said cover has front, side and top panels and side flanges shiftable in said notches and engaging the rear face of the intermediate panel of said bracket, said top cover panel being notched to receive the end portion of said resilient switch arm.

4. An alarm device as defined in claim 3, wherein said S-shaped bracket includes a lower outturned panel and an inturned flange having an aperture through which said manual switch actuator projects, and said front panel'of said cover has an opening registering with said last named aperture.

5. An alarm device as defined in claim 3, wherein the attachment means of the projecting panel of said S-frame constitutes a pointed impaling prong struck therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,012,590 12/1911 Bobo 340-274 1,146,883 7/1915 Jones 340-274 1,226,009 5/1917 Rieser.

1,305,190 5/1919 Bobo.

2,634,409 4/1953 Walcher 340274 X 2,838,747 6/1958 Jezl 340--274 2,922,150 1/1960 Jezl 340-274 X 3,270,333 8/1966 Barber 340-274 JOHN W. CALDWELL, Primary Examiner.

D. L. TRAFTON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ALARM DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A BUILDING IN ASSOCIATION WITH A CLOSURE MEMBER TO SIGNAL OPENING OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORTING BRACKET HAVING A PLURALITY OF ANGULARLY EXTENDING INTEGRAL PANELS, A COVER RELEASABLY CARRIED BY SAID BRACKET AND COOPERATING THEREWITH TO DEFINE A COMPARTMENT, AN ELECTRIC SIGNAL DEVICE CARRIED BY SAID BRACKET IN SAID COMPARTMENT, A BATTERY CARRIER MOUNTED ON SAID BRACKET IN SAID COMPARTMENT, A BATTERY REMOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CARRIER, A MANUAL SWITCH MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER IN SAID COMPARTMENT AND HAVING AN ACTUATOR EXTENDING EXTERNALLY OF SAID COMPARTMENT, ONE BRACKET PANEL PROJECTING FROM SAID COMPARTMENT AND HAVING MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT THEREOF TO ONE OF A COOPERATING PAIR OF BUILDING CLOSURE AND CLOSURE FRAME MEMBERS, AN ELONGATED RESILIENT SWITCH ARM CARRIED BY SAID LAST NAMED BRACKET PANEL AND HAVING AN END PORTION PROJECTING INTO SAID COMPARTMENT, AND A SWITCH CONTACTOR CARRIED BY SAID BRACKET IN SAID COMPARTMENT AND NORMALLY ENGATED BY SAID SWITCH ARM END PORTION, SAID MANUAL SWITCH, BATTERY, SIGNAL DEVICE AND SWITCH CONTACTOR BEING ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED IN A CIRCUIT CONTROLLED BY SAID RESILIENT SWITCH ARM AND SAID MANUAL SWITCH, SAID SWITCH ARM AND LAST NAMED BRACKET PANEL BEING INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID CLOSURE MEMBER AND CLOSURE FRAME TO FLEX SAID SWITCH ARM TO DISENGAGE SAID CONTACTOR WHEN SAID CLOSURE MEMBER IS IN CLOSED POSITION. 